Allows sealing of eviction records for defective complaint or lack of jurisdiction for individuals between the ages of eighteen (18) and twenty-one (21) who didn't sign the lease.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would allow certain young adults to have their eviction records sealed from public view under specific circumstances. Specifically, it applies to people between the ages of 18 and 21 who were living in a rental property but were not listed as a tenant on the lease agreement. If an eviction case against them was dismissed because of a flawed legal complaint or because the court didn't have proper authority to hear the case, this bill would give them the right to have that eviction record sealed.

In practical terms, "sealing" a record means it would no longer be visible to the general public — such as landlords, employers, or background check services — though it may still be accessible to courts or law enforcement. This matters because eviction records, even ones that were dismissed or thrown out on technicalities, can show up in background checks and make it very difficult for young people to rent housing in the future.

The people most directly affected would be young adults — often college-aged individuals or young people living with family members or roommates — who ended up involved in a court eviction proceeding even though they never formally signed the lease. The bill recognizes that these individuals may have had little control over the housing situation and were not the primary party in the rental agreement.

The bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island Senate and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will review it before any further action is taken.